Money Management: Shopping

Money makes the world go around and sometimes it’s hard to come by but we all need to understand how to use it more wisely. Sometimes I struggle with that but there are quite a few tools that can help. Whether it helps you just see where you’re at in terms of what you spend on or save a little extra, every little bit helps. I have used some apps, paper and excel spread sheets to record my expenses and it can be hard to choose what is right for you. Luckily, I have found a place that reviews personal finance software and they give you very detailed descriptions. Click hereto check them out. They review apps like Mint and tax software like Quicken which could be very helpful when getting started. While they are great at reviews I do have some other tricks up my sleeve that they don’t mention.

I also use Mint to track my expenses, they give you a breakdown of where you are spending your money on a monthly basis and they even alert you when you have gone over budget or if you have a low balance in your checking account. You can even check your credit for free. Keeping track of things is helpful and they can get more involved with your savings goals if you let them. I just use it as a general tracking app, but it is up to you how you’d like to use them.

Saving money on things you already buy is a great way to help you manage your money. It’s great to get deep discounts on technology, music, fashion that you might need. As a student I have the benefit of usingUNIDAYS which often gets me deals on Uniqlo, ASOS or Urban Outfitters for clothing, Eyebuydirect for my glasses, or even wholesale clubs like Sam’s Club. They have deals off of postmates, hellofresh and other food related purchases too. UNIDAYS is an amazing resource and you can get $5 when you use my invite link here. (The brands I purchase from which are bolded are affiliated links it would help me out if you purchased with those links).

Another expense that is definitely necessary if you have a car is gas. I use gasbuddy to help me locate the cheapest gas nearby and I am also a Fuel Rewards member at Shell. You start out with $0.05 off per gallon but when you link a credit card and spend money at the partnered retailers you can get way more off. One of the partnered retailers is Jiffy Lube so when I need an oil change fast, I get it there and receive like $0.15 off per gallon on the next fill up.

A lot of times we find the cheapest deals online right? What if you could earn points that become either cash or e-gift cards whenever you shop online? Swagbucks is the best website for that. I have actually gotten a few gift cards from them and used them to buy more things that I need or spend money on gifts for other people. They are especially useful when you have saved up enough points for the holidays or anniversaries. Here is a link if you want to get started with 150 free swagbucks. There are other ways to earn without spending money, it is slow but definitely doable. They have a search engine that will randomly reward you, a daily poll and some random swagcodes. You could also watch videos or do surveys but those are more time consuming.

Nowadays there are also ways to pay with your phone like Google Pay, Apple Pay and my favorite Samsung Pay. Samsung pay rewards you with points every time you use it and those points can be used to redeem gift cards and Samsung related gear. Samsung pay also works at way more places than google or apple because of their loop pay technology that works like a credit card. There are also cashback offers on their app as well to either earn points or money. I also really like that I can scan my gift cards or rewards cards and use them through Samsung pay.

Of course it is always better to try to save money by not buying things, but when you need them, you need them. These are just a few things I do every time I decide I need to shop for something new or eat out. I use credit cards over my debit card since I earn points. I just make sure I pay it off with the money I have in my checking account right away. That way you can build your credit and earn rewards that you can pay off your bill with. Don’t spend more than you have in your bank accounts. That’s a surefire way to get into debt. Credit cards are scary in that way but if you use them right they are a great tool to save money.

I use the Chase Freedom card since it is a Visa and they have ATMs everywhere in the US. You earn 5% rewards on things like groceries or gas on a quarterly basis, so it’s a great everyday card. However they do have a 3% foreign transaction fee so it’s not a good travel card. Earn a $150 bonus with Chase Freedom when you spend $500 in the first 3 months. I can be rewarded too if you apply here and are approved for the card.

Just sharing some personal savings tips when shopping, let me know if you want to see more of this content in the future. Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you have anything you’d like to share, I love to hear your thoughts!